Party Of Three
by S.S. Paint
Summary: Something strange has been going on. It's aligning just too perfectly. They cannot hide it any longer. Happy Valentine's Day!
1. Chapter 1

It's been forever, Peach thought. Is Mario taking his time or did Bowser just go all out?

The Princess sighed as she sat in the dungeon, feeling restless. Her dress was ruffled and her hair unkempt. Her impatience spurred her frustration. The temperature was uncomfortably cool, but if she were in the cage above the lava, the little makeup she had on would run.

But, this all just reminded her of why she likes this so much. This, scenario, if you would. The scene set up for the kingdom to witness. This is what gave her the chance to be imperfect, improper, and definitely wild. . . With a safe way back.

Her small smile grew slightly. It didn't start like this, of course. How could it? Bowser was a monster, a brute at the start... but he grew into a likable, more fun to be around kind of guy, who just happened to have a competitive streak.

And Mario. Sweeter, more traditional, and someone who definitely understood her. He gently brought her back to the Mushroom Kingdom when her detachment from her royal duties with Bowser was too much.

The Princess gave a small sigh of content as she thought of the two. The best of both worlds. The one who whisked her away to freedom and the one who was her anchor in her fantasy. Not a bad deal at all.

It helped that they also got along, for the most part. As long as they could keep up this normalcy, nothing would go wrong.

Though satisfied with her train of thought, the Princess gave another sigh after a few minutes of silence.

If only they would hurry up with their own 'battle.'

* * *

Mario was annoyed.

Very much so.

He was well on his way into his journey. He was close, he could almost see Bowser's Keep if he squinted. He could swear he could feel the heat of the lava.

The Troops seemed more well trained. Bowser seemed more than intent on getting all the time he could alone with the princess. Mario chuckled. He'd have to try more than that if he wanted to keep the Princess out of his reach.

But that wasn't what annoyed him. In fact, that only had gotten him more pumped for the battle.

"Hey, Brooo! Mario!" Luigi called out, waving to him and jogging over.

It wasn't Luigi either, how could he blame his dear brother?

"Wait up!" Toad called out to him.

There we go. That's the one.

"Guys?" he asked in genuine surprise, "What are. . . How did you catch up?"

Luigi had his hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath while smiling and explaining. "Well, Toad here. . . he convinced me that you doing all this by yourself each time was. . . huff huff. . . really dangrous!" The green brother stood up now. "And well, yeah, I do know this is pressuring. The whole defeat Bowser thing. But I don't want to let you forget that you aren't alone, Bro!"

Mario's blank smile went from Luigi to Toad. "Is that so? You shouldn't have."

Toad gave a knowing glance back. "Nothing too big for a friend, Mario! Especially you! I'll definitely be a help!"

Deciding how to go about this, Mario turned back to Luigi. "Are you sure, Bro? The enemies are tougher. I'm worried for you.."

Luigi gave a determined grin and nod. "I'm no coward anymore, Mario! You can count on me, I won't get in the way."

"Yeah! Ditto, Mario!" Toad chimed in. "We'll beat every enemy! Bring Bowser down!"

Did he know something? . . .For sure, he definitely knew how to give a winning pep talk to Luigi.

Mario stifled a sigh. There had to be a change of plans then. He had to alert Bowser and Peach before making it to the keep. It was hardly any fun, communicating with them. It broke character, and...

He brushed off those thoughts, and gave a smile for his Brother and Toad. "Absolutely! I need all the help I can get! Thanks Bro!"

The plumber purposely didn't acknowledge the little mushroom.

* * *

Late that night, when it was dark and he was sure the other two had fallen to the depths of their slumber, Mario wrote a brief, hasty letter under the light of the stars.

Change of plans.

Luigi and Toad joined me.

Tell the Princess that I think he might be onto us.

Maybe we should stop for some time.

I'm not happy either, Bowser. But better safe than sorry.

-M

Pleased with the simple note, he folded it up and scratched a few times in the dirt. And then he gave the ground a soft 'thwap' with his hand.

A few seconds later, a Monty Mole poked his head up above ground.

"There's nothing new today, Mario. I'm sorry." he shook his head, a bit of dirt falling from his ears.

"It's actually something I want to send." the plumber whispered back. "Here." he held out the note.

"Oh." the Monty Mole said in surprise, taking it in his claws and nodding. "Certainly. I'll- Ah!"

He retreated underground, paper gripped tight as the pain in his head was sudden.

Mario recoiled back, startled.

"Are you okay Mario?" Toad asked in surprise.

The plumber scowled at the Mushroom. "What are you-?!"

"Guys?' Luigi sat up, rubbing his eyes tiredly.

"Sorry Luigi! I just woke up and there was a Monty Mole next to Mario. I got rid of it though. Before it did a sneak attack."

"Are you okay Mario?"

"Yeah." Mario answered. He almost lost his temper, and that would have been bad. "Yeah, I was just confused because that woke me up suddenly." Then reluctantly. "Thanks Toad."

"No problem. I'll always keep an eye out."

That seemed to be the issue.

* * *

"Your Majesties, a message from Mario."

Bowser sat upon his throne, and turned toward the Mole with a loud "Huh?" His attention fully diverted.

Peach wasn't offended, in fact, she was just as surprised. She held a hand to her mouth. "Mario, you say?"

"Yes, my Lady." He walked forward, delivering the folded paper. "I don't know the details, as I was forced to flee."

"Okay, get out of here already. Private Business!"

"Thank you so much, sir."

The Monty Mole gave a fearful, respectful nod and scurried out.

"He doesn't usually send us messages," The Princess spoke what they were both thinking. She opened up the letter and began to read it aloud for herself and Bowser. "Change of plans. Luigi and Toad joined me. Tell the Princess I think he might be onto us? Maybe we should time for some time. I'm-"

"WHAT." Bowser roared. "Never! That's a horrible idea!"

"Please stop yelling," Peach told him, then finished up. "I'm not happy either, Bowser. But better safe than sorry. Mario." She gave a sigh. "I'm afraid he has a point, Bowser."

"For how long? And why again! They'll just get suspicious again and we have to start the whole thing over again!"

Peach said sadly. "That's just the way things have to be, Bowser." She leaned over the armrest of the throne and pecked a kiss on Bowser's cheek.

"Yeah, well it's lame and it sucks." he griped, crossing his arms. "I don't even get to see him that often either. This was gonna be just us three!"

"Well. . ." she considered a way to prolong this time, but shook her head. "I don't want to hurt Luigi or Toad."

"Blagh."

"Bowser!" Peach scolded.

He shrugged and refused to apologize. "If we're gonna cut this short then fine." he said. "But I'm gonna end things my way."

Peach's eyelids dropped, and she gave a suggestive smile. "Your way, huh? I don't know, Mario is on his way. I think he''l be the one to..."

Bowser turned to her, and smiled wickedly.

* * *

The next morning, Mario glumly led the way. They were just some leagues away from Bowser's place now. Ugh. With no hope in sight. For sure, Bowser and Peach decided to have some hasty fun last night, but he'd have to wait until who knows what other time to be able to enjoy himself.

Luigi and Toad chattered away behind him, but he ignored them. Really, he just wanted to fake-defeat Bowser and go home already. With Princess Peach.

They'd have a discussion on what to do. And then, somehow relay it to Bowser. Then he would have some argument against some little detail in the letter, but the response would take a long time. Then, he would get restless and decide that enough time has passed, come up with some scheme, and then invade.

Mario sighed and kicked at a stone in particular. Would this be all they can do?

"Hey Bro. You okay?" Luigi spoke up. "You've been awfully quiet."

"Nothing. Just wondering when Bowser will quit," he forced a smile.

"I wonder that too." Toad nodded. "But he has so much help."

"Well, here we are." Luigi looked up to the impressive stone castle. The lava moat burned brilliantly. It made the sky seemed dark and their eyes dry. "Just across the bridge."

Mario took the risk and let a laugh out. "If you're just a bit too intimidated, Luigi, I won't hold it against you!" He patted his back reassuredly. "I think the world of you!"

The younger brother stuttered, hand to his chin and highly considering the way out. But before he could answer.

"No way!" Toad yelled. "We've gotten this far! We'll see it through to the end!"

"Y-yeah!" Luigi cheered, pumping his fist up. "Let's-a go, Bro!"

". . .Just what I expected to hear!" Mario said a bit too cheerfully. "You're right! Let's end this!"

He rushed to the bridge, with the two others in tow. But halfway there, he heard Luigi cry out in concern. "Bro!"

Mario stopped and turned. A piece he stepped on a few steps ago had fallen. Behind him and in front of Luigi and Toad. A few more pieces fell. Perfect! But Dangerous!

"Ju-! No! Go back! Be careful!" Mario cried out. Feeling a piece of the bridge shake with his weight. He stepped back and it fell to the lava below. "I'll go on ahead! Just wait for me!"

Luigi nodded, albeit with disappointment. "I will!" he called out as he ran back to safety. Toad followed him, but watched with growing unease and displeasure as Mario ran into the castle.

* * *

"Watch it next time, you hear me?" Mario said, nearly breathless but good-natured. "I'll call everything off if my Brother gets hurt."

"Blah, Blah. You and Peach both." Bowser mocked. "You guys can't resist me!" he bragged, flexing not so discreetly.

"Oh, I can. Bet on that, Koopa. Give up the princess."

"Take her from me if you can, Plumber."

Mario smiled, and the two closed the distance between them.

* * *

"We have to do something." Toad paced back and forth, looking at the castle every so often.

"Like what?" Luigi said idly, hugging his knees to his chest. "I think Mario will be fine."

"Yeah. He'll be picture perfect like every time." Toad said sarcastically.

Luigi looked up, confused at that. Bitter tone? What? "What's... wrong with that? What do you mean?"

Toad didn't answer right away, not sure if Luigi would accept his theory. "Isn't weird to you how Bowser always gets Peach, and Mario always beats him soundly?"

Luigi shrugged. "Same as always. No."

"See! Right there! Always," Toad emphasized. "Why is this cycle non ending?"

"Because Bowser is too dumb to quit or win." Luigi deadpanned.

"I don't think you'll understand." Toad said, and looked to the castle across the gap. "But I have to get in there."

"What were you trying to get at, Toad?" Luigi said, refusing to give up on that topic. "You had an edge about Mario. And you convinced me to come. . .a-and trying to sprout some questions to me? You've been thinking about something a a lot. What is it?"

Toad kept staring at the castle. "I think Mario is working for Bowser in secret."

"WHAT?" Luigi choked. "You WHAT?"

"I think he's a mole for him."

"When we came, the Princess was already kidnapped. Do you think he came here before I did and came back and, whatever?!" he said angrily.

"No. I don't know when it would have happened." Toad admitted. "But lately there's been weird things. He's going alone most often." he stared to list.

"I don't always want to tag along." Luigi countered.

"When you do, isn't it always easy to defeat him? Why does he have an axe to drop him into lava? He can withstand high temperatures! That shouldn't stop him!"

"And? That's how Mario beats him easily!"

"And then, and then! Just yesterday! There was a literal mole talking to him! I didn't hear what they were saying, but I heard whispers. That's why I attacked him."

Luigi frowned.

"And he tried to get us to go home," Toad continued. He almost had him. "And then talks with the mole. And then today? Tries to get us to leave, and the whoops! The bridge is out, conveniently after he gets to the other side!"

"What's your point to all this?!" Luigi asked mad.

"I just want the Princess to be safe and happy!" Toad blurted. "If all this is going on, Mario working for Bowser for whatever reason. Then the poor Princess is caught in the middle of it. And that's just not fair to her!"

"What would Mario even be working for Bowser for, Toad?!"

"I don't know! But I bet you, that if we go in there! They'll just be hanging out like best friends, scheming! Plotting! Doing who knows what! I can't and won't allow that to continue!"

The Green Brother clenched his fist. "Then fine. Let's get in there. They're just fighting. I know it."

* * *

They were not.

Not at the moment at least. The had been a few seconds ago. Mario loved the thrill of jumping, avoiding. Fighting a monster. But then Bowser had grabbed him and hurled him to the floor.

"oof!" he let out. Bowser grabbed his arms with his claws.

"What are you gonna do now?" the Koopa King grinned. "I've got you defeated."

Mario let a smirk on his face, not that it was really visible with his mustache. But still. "You've been getting better. Same for your troops. Been doubling down on their training?"

"Anything for you," Bowser flirted back.

Mario struggled a little more, but the beast picked him up, letting his snout bump against his face.

It was an awkward sort of kiss. With snouts and big noses, and lizard tongue and fangs and a mustache in the way. The sexual tension of coming all this way and fighting for the princess. It was the thrill they loved. Especially the fact that all three would have to stop for a while. And it was a familiar sense of awkward for them. Nice, even.

But it was a horrifying kind of awkward to the two who walked in.

"MARIO!" Luigi yelped, both hands covering his mouth right away.

Toad wanted to give an 'I knew it!' but not even he suspected this. "T-t-traitor. . .!" was all he could manage.

Mario jolted back into reality, shocked. In disbelief. Nothing came to mind to defend himself. He never stopped to think about what really could happen, he supposed. "Luigi, I. . . Uh."

Bowser stomped forward. "Ahhh, shut it! He's no traitor! He's been loyal to you all these years hasn't he?!"

"You don't get to talk! You're our main threat!" Toad shot back.

Bowser growled, looking back at Mario, who all but shut down. He turned back. "So what?! If you think everything else was fake you're mistaken!"

Luigi was only thunderstruck. He couldn't even move. "Bowser and Mario. . .?" he muttered. "What about the Princess. . . . ?"

* * *

And thus back to the original scene.

While the quartet in the other room spoke and argued and stayed quiet, the Princess sat impatiently for several more minutes.

She stood, with a sigh. Did Luigi and Toad end up coming and they were fighting for real? Brushing herself off and fixing her hair as best as she could. Stepping to the wall, Peach pressed on a loose brick and patted the inner wall for. . there we go! A key.

The key to the cell, to be more exact. Walking over to the locked bars, she unlocked the mere time consuming obstacle. She walked through the castle, knowing it like her very own.

As she approached the main hall, she heard distinct voices as she neared the entrance. Oh, Toad was here. . . and sounded angry?

"Oh dear." she whispered to herself, stepping toward the door and peeking through.

Bowser stood with menace, trying to threaten the other two. Mario sat behind him, looking small. Toad was throwing accusations at Bowser. Luigi. . . was just in the background, looking distressed, to say the least.

Princess Peach weighed her options, debated all she could do, and then finally walked through the door.

"What, is the meaning of this?"

"Princess!" Toad exclaimed, and jabbed a finger in the direction of the couple. "Mario's a traitor! I had my suspicions, but. . . I caught them in the act! They were. . ." he paused. "They're, involved." he stated blankly now, the fact sinking in.

She froze. So they had found out. That explains Mario's state. Arguably, he had been the one to have the most to lose, but for sure he was the one most concerned with being found out.

"I. . ." Peach started. She was unsure of what to say.

Bowser growled again. "Stop calling him a traitor! You little shroom freak!"

"B-Bowser!" Peach scolded him in worry.

He stopped but turned to glower at her. "You still gonna keep it a secret?! Look around you! It's time!" he shot back.

"A secret?" Luigi spoke up, "Another one?" he joked dryly.

Princess Peach frowned and looked at the ground. Maybe it was time to grow up. This was always fun, but.

"Fine. I apologize to all of you involved. Luigi, Toad. Bowser, Mario. . ." she started with a breath.

"Princess!" Toad exclaimed. "Don't feel pressured to lie to cover up! I know how you about-!"

"Toad, let me speak." She commanded. The Mushroom quieted down. She sighed. "Whether you believe me or not, I was the one who started all of this. But it wasn't always like this, alright? Bowser was a monster at first. A big, brutish jerk who was power hungry and cruel."

Bowser would have blushed if he were able.

"Mario came and saved me, you all know that. And all was right as it should be. The next few times Bowser kidnapped me, it felt like he had more of a fixation on Mario than me. I noticed it was his obsession to beat the one who beat him.

"As a result, I subtly approached Bowser about it. It made him think about the ordeal. After that time, he took a hiatus from being a villain. Meanwhile, with Mario, he seemed not at all bothered at the fact that he had to go through obstacles and life threatening adventures. I was flattered and took that as him being he is, but..." Peach glanced at Mario.

He stared back, barely nodding his head in a yes. They were too far in to go back now.

"When I chatted with him about topics like these, he would go on and on about his love of thrill. Toad, Mario is not a traitor. And Luigi, he is still your brother. He was definitely worried about this arrangement when I first brought it up."

Both of them looked down, stunned.

Peach nodded and continued. "I brought it up to Mario first, and then sent a letter to Bowser in secret, to discuss things. It may have been risky, but I brought Mario along just in case. And we talked. Talked for hours to make sure this was an ideal fixture for all of us. It was mutually beneficial. Bowser became a more fair ruler, Mario was able to be himself in secret. And I. I wanted this to work because, it's an escape for me as well. I need a break from my royalties. It sounds selfish, but. . . I don't care." Peach gave a 'humph.' "I love the both of them."

The world seemed to freeze.

Peach turned red, but upkept her pride. "That's the real secret here." she stated, "and fine, it got out. But. as a Trio, we'll make things work. I won't be a little princess who has secrets anymore." she was determined.

Mario and Bowser glanced at each other with slight worry. Once the Princess has decided something, nothing would change her mind.

The Mushroom Kingdom and the Darklands will never be the same again.

* * *

**A****uthor's Note: Happy belated Valentine's Day! But I will only ever update on days ending with a five. Why? Just because. I saw that pattern and now I have to keep at it.**

**Anyway! Valentine's theme. Could I have made this into multiple chapters rather than several short scenes? Maybe, but I didn't want to. I already have a multi-chapter fic ongoing, and I really made this on a whim. Besides, it might be a bit of a controversial fic? Idk how people will react to this.**

**Anyway, I'm surprised this Trio isn't more popular. It's always just Mario/Peach, Peach/Bowser, and on occasion, Mario/Bowser. Ship them all together, you cowards! Hahahaha, but really. It's just an interesting dynamic to me. Drop some reviews! Tell me what you like. Obviously not set in my Personification series, but now it's interesting... Nah.**

**MAYBE I'll do a follow up for more details and the epilogue. But it's a maybe.**


	2. Chapter 2

"Princess Peach," Mario caught her attention. "Are you sure about this?" It's been roughly three weeks since the incident.

"Of course I am," The monarch responded as she looked in the mirror. She was fixing her hair. "What do you think? Up? Something new? How symbolic."

"It's a big change. And short notice. Do you think it's actually really fine?"

"Well, it's only hair," Peach sniffed. "I'm keeping it up.'

"I'm talking about telling the Kingdom, Peach." Mario responded in frustration. "It's the worst thing that my Brother won't even talk to me, now you're just going to go ahead and tell the entire kingdom? There will be riots. Toad wasn't happy either!"

"Bowser is already on the way, Mario." the princess sighed. She turned around to face Mario. "We've come this far. Everything will work out fine.

"It isn't fine, Princess." Mario said bluntly. Then he sighed, kicking at nothing. "Everything has already changed for me. How will things change for you?"

Peach moved back to put on her earrings. "I don't know, but it's time to make a change. I was serious about before. I've been way too immature before. It's time to grow up and tell the people who I really am."

"Are you serious?" Mario asked.

"What?" Peach asked, looking through the mirror to Mario. There was anger in his voice.

"You are NOT being the mature princess you think you are! If anything, you're stuck even further in that fantasy of yours. Do you think everything WILL just fix itself just like that? I have to sleep here in the castle because Luigi won't let me step foot in the house! You pretty much ordered Toad to shut his mouth about this! Someone who respects you. . .! And Bowser... Do you really think that the Mushroom Kingdom won't freak out upon seeing his airship and then be completely okay with the monstrous Koopa standing next to the Princess peacefully? With the Hero too? They're not going to rejoice Princess, they'll think he brainwashed us!" Mario panted out his passionate speech.

Peach was frowning now. "Well, what do you propose we do, Mario? Slowly wean into a peaceful treaty with Bowser? Two people already know because of you tongue kissing each other without being careful." Mario turned red at this. "Two people know and are acting completely different. Don't you think the people will start wondering, 'why aren't the Mario Brothers on good terms after defeating Bowser?' and 'Why is Toad acting strange?' We have to act now. We need to tell them in good faith before nasty rumors start flying about. We need to give them our version, not what Luigi saw, or what Toad suspected."

Mario crossed his arms. "Okay. Fine. I see your point. But don't pin the blame on just us either." he grumbled. "I hope you have something planned."

Peach stood up, "I do. . . .Kind of." she answered genuinely with a cute smile. "My speech for sure is. It depends on Bowser's entrance."

The plumber sighed. "Okay. . . Okay."

She looked stunning in the red dress she wore. Her hair pinned up, the red earrings she wore. Mario wondered how much she was going for symbolism today. Red. Passion. The color they had in common. All three of them now. Her crown seemed to shine brighter now more than usual. Either she polished it extra for today's occasion, or it was able to somehow reflect the monarch's strength, confidence, and excitement for today.

"Shall we go?" She giggled positively as she held an arm out to Mario.

"Aren't we going to wait for Bowser?"

"He won't mind missing the 'boring' speech. Besides, remember what I said about timing?"

"Yeah." Mario said absently. He was clearly still anxious.

Peach smiled and leaned down to kiss him. "Come on, My Hero."

Mario was easy to make blush. It was all it took to get him to calm down and finally hook their arms together.

The couple walked out of the room and down the hall. They were heading to the balcony to greet the people of the Mushroom Kingdom. Where Peach would announce the secret. Mario let out a quiet drawn sigh. The secret that's been held for such a long time.

They paused in front of the door, hearing the ruckus of the townsfolk. It sounded like happy chatter.

"Are you ready?" Peach asked him, sounding positive, but now he heard a twinge of anxiety.

Of course she was putting on a mask of courage, he should have known. It was what she's always done. Mario could have kicked himself. This was something they were all in together. And he wouldn't change it for anything. This was love.

"No," he answered honestly, and Peach was slightly startled. "But Let's-a go."

She smiled in relief, and together, they opened the large double doors to walk through to the balcony. This was it.

* * *

**Author's Note: Yeah, I'm weak. This story caught my interest. I was going to cover the speech, but I feel it could have a dragged a little. So it was either going to be too long or too short. So the shorter route is best, I think. I have chapters planned out for both this and Personification, so I'll try alternating. I'll upload one more chapter in this before switching back to the other story. Besides, I'm trying to show off every part of the OT3. Yesm even the cheesy but cutesy let's-a go. Okay. Byeee.**


	3. Chapter 3

As soon as they stepped out, the chatter died out upon noticing the power couple. With smiles, and shushes and elbowing one other to point out the princess about to speak. . .

Peach wondered if they would ever smile at her like that again.

She shook that sudden fear off. "People of the Mushroom Kingdom!" the Princess started in a surprisingly loud voice. "I thank you all for heeding my invitation and making time to arrive to my speech." She let out a small, nearly inaudible sigh, getting rid of the last ones of her nerves. "As you know, I once again have been. . .rescued from the Koopa King, Bowser."

Upon hearing his name, several boos and groans were heard from the crowd.

"Enough, please. . ." Peach frowned. Mario looked a bit upset and nervous. Will it work after all? He wondered. There was still time to stop this all. . .

"I was saved by our very own Hero. . ." Cheers. "And. . ." The Princess paused, looking distant. The speech, now that they booed from the start, was starting to have some holes. They wouldn't agree. They wouldn't accept it. Her heart pounded. She felt like she wanted to throw up. This anxious feeling. She hasn't felt this way ever since she had to give her first speech.

I have to do this, she frowned and nodded her head in determination. She opened her mouth but she suddenly couldn't remember what she had planned to say. Her mouth went dry.

Improvise! Or. . .

Mario noticed her long pause and turned to her, grasping her hand in his and giving it a squeeze. The audience felt heartwarmed and excited. Was this the day the favorite couple will announce their union?

Peach let out a sigh and closed her eyes for a few seconds. After that she opened them with new fierce determination and gazed at the crowd.

"I, Princess Toadstool, Mario Segale, and King Bowser Koopa are in a threeway relationship."

There was a deep, deep silence as the the sentence rung out and registered itself within the residents of Toad Town.

However, this registered file was hard to process.

.

.

.

The reporters were the first to react, furiously writing in their notepads, and hissing to their camera-toads if they got a clear shot of that. Cameras flashed, the people looked to Mario's reaction. Was this the truth? Was this a horrible, very late- or early- April Fool's?

How to even react to this? The Princess? The Hero? The Villain?! What?! Confounded clamoring commenced. The Toads were in the confused stage, and Peach had to capitalize.

"I know this sounds preposterous, My people. I don't blame any single one of you for this initial reaction. But I humbly ask you to listen to my account of the tale." Peach nervously clasped at the Brooch on her chest. She, of course, was very nervous, but she also hoped playing the act up a bit more would ease the crowd a bit more onto her side.

Again, murmuring among the crowd. They had only quieted down a little during Peach's request. Peach stole a glance at Mario, who looked blankly out at the crowd. He didn't really seem to notice the look.

Peach turned back to the audience. "I am a Princess who will always give my all, my best to the Kingdom I run, because they need me. I have done so since I was given the title when my Parents passed, and I will do so until the day I pass. Since I was young, I knew about the pressures of this life, and I did not run away. I devote myself to the improvement of this prosperous land, and every single thing I've ever done was for the kingdom." Peach looked out to the crowd. They were now quiet, hanging on to every word of her explanation. They wanted all the answers.

She continued. "Now, while I'm more than happy with the role, you have to know that it's so stressful, so difficult. Nearly every 'vacation' I go on, it's supposed to be to strengthen bonds between our kingdoms. I wouldn't trade it away for anything. But, that being said. . ." Peach blinked slowly. "It was my idea to enter the relationship with the two."

Soft murmurs again.

"It wasn't always like this." Peach confirmed. "The very first time Bowser kidnapped was real. The first few times, even." She admitted. "But. . . this is where it gets complex. Let me explain. . .' The monarch looked up to the sky briefly, hands clasped together. "That first time King Bowser kidnapped me, it was a full scale invasion. His Magikoopas cast spells to force me to go along with his commands. He saw a weakened kingdom and he took the advantage. I will not lie. I was terrified beyond belief. What would he do with me? Will he keep his word or will he keep my people wickedly enchanted forever? My reign will have gone down in history as the shortest and the quietest. . .it may have been my lowest point in my life. I was scared, defenseless, and alone. And that's when Mario showed up."

Princess Peach threw him a smile. "He rescued me for the first time. You all know as such. He's been the light of hope this kingdom needed in that dark time. He single handedly took down Bowser's army. If not for him, we wouldn't be here as a Kingdom today."

Peach paused, taking a breath. "Now, imagine, if you will, a young Princess who has just gone through this ordeal. She's bursting with gratitude to her savior, and there's always that touch of romantic fantasy in her heart. I'll admit, that it was easy to fall for someone like Mario. Polite, heroic and brave, and selfless." Peach smiled genuinely, tilting her head to the one beside her. He gave a small smile back, flattered. "I likely loved him long before I realized."

Once again turning her royal gaze to the crowd, she kept on. "His love, however, for quite a while, was not with me. He fell for another. He's come across her even before he arrived here in the Mushroom Kingdom. He constantly saw her as she appeared every time I was captured." She paused to let them wonder. Even Mario looked a bit confused.

"Princess?"

She smiled though it resembles more of a smirk now. "His love was for adventuring. I was only a bonus. He's dreamt about it, dived headfirst in, and even traveled to other lands to help out there. That isn't to say it's the only reason he's gone out of his way for folks, it's a factor of his bravery."

"Now," Peach continued after a pregnant pause. "On Bowser's side, he's never faced a loss before. It was humiliating to him. A weakened kingdom with a delicate, young face in charge kidnapped. The people of the kingdom who aren't very known for being fighters trapped. He was the big bad force who would easily take down this kingdom and win its abundant resources. But then, his defenses were taken down by a team of siblings, and in the end, one man himself. This couldn't happen. How could he lose to such a pitiful force?!" Her gestures became more animated, more aggressive, as if she were in the role of Bowser himself. "Of course, he didn't realize it sounded that way only on paper. The Mario Brothers were stronger than even we realized. They were able to access the magic infused crops that Bowser targeted, and had natural potential toward it. With this, they were able to get the one up on his forces. He didn't know this, and grew obsessed with defeating The Duo, and above all, Mario. he was the target because of his more bold nature. He had a one track mind, that even I was relegated as only bait to lure him out. But our kingdom was only getting stronger and richer."

The Princess continued. "And now, You know the story of the Three of Us. One Princess with constant pressure to be perfect. One Hero who enjoyed the thrills more than he wanted to let on. And the King who was obsessed." Peach blinked. "From this point, I had a feeling the cycle would be never ending, if something wasn't done. Bowser never did anything to harm me in those times, and I reached out to find out why he was continuing to do this. It was when I realized he was more focused on Mario then anything else. The red hero had caught his attention, though I'm sure he mistook it as hatred." Peach smirked once more, a few fingers to her lips. "And upon speaking with him, his true colors shone. He's a father, a king for his people, and one who has a temper. But one who can be lightly guided to a more calm nature, to be shown the more peaceful way of doing things."

"For a long story short, I took it upon myself to cut out the middleman and make these occurrences peaceful rather than harmful. It was no scheme. In fact it was more of a. . . nice escape for me. No pressures, no expectations. Bowser and Mario. . . the more we talked the more I was convinced that this was the right decision. As long as we kept our However I do realize the mistake we made. I was foolish to believe we could act that way with no consequences, my people. Thus the truth is out with good faith that there will be no more fear, no more charades, and no more ruins for you. We shall join forces with the Koopa Kingdom. I'm sure with time, it shall be more natural for all of you."

The crowd's chatter started up again once they realized the speech was over. How. . . confusing! Or, surprising? (Somewhere, a Toad known for conspiracies kept informing the ones around him 'I knew it! I knew it! Did I or did I not tell you?') The princess assured them no more attacks, but is it true? And if it was, living with the force who have relentlessly tried to attack them for years? Bowser in charge? How will that affect everything?! They talked among themselves debating wildly.

Peach smiled warmly. She expected this. . . though it seemed better than she imagined. They weren't freaking out like they had the tendency of doing. It might have been the shock value. She looked over at Mario who looked worried.

"What's the matter, Mario? There's no angry mob. . ." she joked lightly, prodding.

His eyes stayed on the crowd, scanning it. Just Toad after Toad. A handful of other species. He briefly wondered if there were folks he met on his adventures before. What did they think? That he was fake? Not a real hero. . .? And of course, he noticed that Luigi wasn't there either. He wasn't surprised, but nevertheless disappointed. "You. . ." The red hero turned to her. "Princess, I'm sorry but you didn't have to tell them about my. . ." he trailed off. He's always disliked the adrenaline junkie that he was.

"It was necessary. And no one will think of you any differently. After knowing that the three people they know have been seeing each other instead of fighting like they thought, the last thing on their mind will be how you're addicted to thrills." Peach said, realizing it was a bit insensitive as soon she saw the look on Mario's face. She felt guilty, but brushed off the mistake as the rush she got from finally revealing to the crowd her biggest secret.

"I'm sorry," she shook her head to clarify. "I shouldn't have. How about. . . how do you feel about answering questions right now? We can head down when Bowser arrives, and I'm sure there will be countless questions about everything. You can clear up some things about yourself."

The small comfort seemed to help. "Yeah, maybe. . ." he mused. Maybe one day, Luigi too will. . . "When is Bowser getting here anyhow?" he asked to get his mind off the bad things. He didn't want to be a party pooper, this was a big weight off the Princess's shoulders. And even Bowser himself was all for letting the secret go.

As if on cue, the airship of King Koopa appeared over the castle, flanked by smaller but just as threatening ships. It was a familiar sight, but the citizens stared up, gawking instead of automatically freaking out, despite their instincts and screaming on the inside.

Peach smiled, and addressed the crowd. "Now, the Party of Three is here." she announced, arms raised. "We shall head down and hold a press conference. If you could make your way inside the castle, there's food, sweets, and drinks for everyone!"

No sooner was the last word of her mouth out when the largest airship with Bowser's gold face on the bow of the ship embezzled on it shot a cannonball out to the kingdom, with the other airships following suit. It was an invasion.

Princess Peach's eyes were wide as one fell heavily on the balcony she and Mario stood on. It cracked and groaned under the pressure. Mario took her hand and pulled her toward him, she fell to a sitting position and in the background, Toads now started to yell and scatter for cover. The Princess could only stare out in horror at the sight. "I-I told him. . ." she muttered blankly.

She and Mario looked out to the scene in quiet disbelief and horror.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**C. Mechayoshi- It's a threeway ship that is definitely interesting, with lots of potential behind it. I hope I can show off that potential!**

**Guest- Sorry, but sauce? Lol. The goods! The top quality drama! The juicy parts! That? Or, something. . . else? hahaha. It's coming for sure. ;)**

**Anyway! I was going to wait on uploading this chapter because it's such a big dialogue dump, but eh. it's okay. It had to be done anyway. Tune in next time! Mwahahaha. Oh yeah, and the Bowser in charge is a reference to Doug Bowser being the new president of NoA. Happy Retirement, Reggie! You've done so much for us. Enjoy your time getting back to Animal Crossing: New Leaf for the 3DS. **


	4. Chapter 4

Princess Peach stared for several seconds out to the destruction of her kingdom, in shock, in horror. Her eyes burned at the heat and tears coming in. It seemed longer than only the few seconds it actually was before Mario grabbed her arm and pulled her to the doors of the balcony. "Come on," he said standing her up and hastily guiding her to the double doors.

He opened them and shut it behind the two. A large crash made Mario realize that the stand they were on weakened and fallen.

He was only slightly less stunned than Peach. He had reacted only on instinct to get out of there. The muffled sounds of attacks and screams sounded distant behind the doors. "Did you know about this?" he asked dumbly, not thinking about the implications.

Her shock of betrayal mingled with indignation. "Are you accusing me of betraying my own Kingdom?!"

"I don't know." Mario answered, grabbing his cap and wringing it in his hands. "I don't know what I'm saying. But Bowser?!"

He was only dumbfounded. Peach shook her head, crossing her arms and letting her anger melt away. He wasn't pointing a finger, only wanted to know which way to point. "I. . . I think his feelings were genuine. . . He was eager to tell both kingdoms."

As soon as she said that, they both felt a pang of fear.

Was all of this just a lie? Was Bowser just going along with everything to find a weakness in them? Peach frowned and tears stung at her eyes. Naive Princess. She shut them tight to think but nothing came to mind. Only Bowser being a liar filled her mind.

"How about we go to the roof and see what he's up to? . . . I can go." Mario corrected. "If it's an attack for real." Despite whatever may happen, he still wanted his Princess to be safe.

"Can you take him on for real?" Peach asked, her turn to ask a question without thinking first.

"I CAN!" Mario insisted, "I've had to battle the troops along the way, and Bowser and I did more than just. . . you know. It wasn't always just me fighting against him." Mario shook his head. "Anyway, I'll go see what's up. . . I hope I can talk some sense into him."

Princess Peach nodded. "Good luck. I'll. . . think of what to do." She said, thinking about the aftermath of all this anyway. Her People. . . given shocking news, then an event that just contradicted everything she just announced to them. She sighed. "Be safe."

"I will be," Mario bowed to her. Then he ran off, going higher up the stairs to the roof's staircase.

Peach walked off to head to her room. If anything else were to occur, she would need items, supplies. "Oh, Bowser. . ." she muttered with despair, anxiety, and a shaky voice. "What's on your mind? Were you unhappy? Were you planning this all along?" Her narration out loud was stopped when she heard the step-step-clop of a familiar figure present in her life.

Toadsworth.

Oh, dear. She could hear his scoldings, his worries he would voice to her, the "why did you think you could trust him?"

And honestly, she would have no answer, and he would be in the absolute right. . .

"Princess!" Came his voice amidst the now more distant attacks outside.

She turned and saw him speed-hobbling on his cane. Her eyes were extremely watery and stinging.

"Princess, come with me." he waved his cane around to gesture the 'follow me' and walked straight past her without a second glance.

That. . . was not at all what she expected from the old, wise Toad. But he didn't even spare a glance back to her and clearly fully expected her to follow him without a doubt.

So, with all her mixed emotions of anguish, faint hope, and confusion, the young blonde Princess followed suit before her caretaker disappeared from her sight.

* * *

Mario ran up and up and up, the sounds from outside getting louder. He and Bowser. . . their relationship has always been an odd one.

Their first time fighting had been ferocious. It was a genuine final battle between life and death for the Princess. He dodged and weaved and it had reminded him of his thrill of jumping over barrels at a high altitude of an unfinished building. But instead of cool night air, the suffocating heat of lava rose, and fire was shot at him, and the threat of being crushed was real. He could have fallen, been burnt to a crisp, melted in lava, anything.

But against all odds, he was the victor.

The win was breathtaking, and the Princess even more so. She had thanked him sweetly, she seemed so tired, ready to get back home.

And he, on the other hand was buzzed from the adrenaline. The battle was anything but anti-climatic, but he was already missing the feeling.

He and the Princess grew to be close friends, and he relished time with her as much as the time spent away from her to go through it all again to rescue her.

He dreamt about a situation close to it, but this time she was helping right alongside him.

Mario was a thrill seeker, and felt horrible about at the same time. Hoping for disaster felt sickening, but he couldn't help himself. He desperately wished that his thoughts wouldn't somehow make its way to Star Haven. What would the Stars above that he's saved before think? And even so, he wondered if they had heard and didn't mind it, considering Bowser never stopped trying.

One day, Princess Peach invited him to her castle, and not Luigi. The green brother was fine with it, assuming the Princess simply wanted to be alone with Mario. He was on board with the two being an item. He believed he knew how Mario felt.

There, the castle's stars were stolen. Everyone was contained within the walls and not harmed. Not a single Toad, and the magic spell placed on the castle was even weak enough that a handful of Toads were able to bestow power stars upon him.

The paintings led to interesting worlds, and if he made the mistake of getting harmed enough to fall unconscious or fall into the sky, he would be rejected out of the portal. And the power of the caps he discovered. Extremely fun, useful, and breathtaking.

It seemed too fun, too elaborately planned. Too coincidential.

Honestly, the red plumber hadn't even thought about the adventure that way, even upon meeting Bowser. The normally extremely hostile Koopa was different. Somehow. Mario couldn't put his finger on it at the time. He laughed more. But he defeated the King and saved Peach once more. The Princess showed her gratitude, and invited him to partake in baked pastries and tea.

There, she tentatively brought up Bowser, his recent adventure and how it was.

He answered nonchalantly, afraid of gushing over how amazing it felt to him.

She then tried beating around the bush and hinted at. . . something more. She pushed him forward inch by inch, until finally dumping the truth and suggestion on him unceremoniously.

And then . . .

and then, well one thing led to another, and the plumber was shocked at the revelation, but thoroughly enjoyed what happened after that.

So between the rivalry and tension and good times between, he thought as he reached the top, why, of all things this, Bowser? Even if he genuinely disliked Mario, what about the Princess? Did he really never care?

The red hero of the kingdom kicked opened the door to the roof. He looked up to the main ship circling the castle. He would board it, and get to the bottom of this. He would tear into Bowser until he figured exactly what the FUCK was going on.

Scaling one of the towers of the red roof, he jumped and hopped and wall kicked to the boat. He grabbed on and heaved himself up.

"Bowser!" He called out angrily. "Koopa!" He looked around the wooden deck, eyes narrowed. Was he not here? Hiding?! On a different ship? "Come out here! Explain yourself!"

Just quiet (as quiet as the attacks far down below and far and the whirring of the ship itself could be). Mario took a step forward to investigate inside the ship when he dodged the burst of colorful shapes to him. He looked up and saw the attacker on the high deck of the airship.

"I don't like what you were yelling out," came the slight accented voice of the Koopa.

"Ludwig?" Mario got held his fists, glaring at the blue haired Koopa.

The Royal Leader clenched the head of the wand in his other hand. "It implies the truth of something _ridiculous_ I heard." he stated, a quiet subtle anger to him.

A lowkey sense of relief began to fill Mario's chest despite the circumstance. Did this mean . . .? But. "Where's Bowser?"

Ludwig Von Koopa's beady eyes narrowed. "It doesn't matter now. And you shouldn't care anyway. You should be adversaries, NOT! . . ." Before losing his cool, Ludwig shot out another burst of magic suddenly, and went inside his shell to dash attack.

Mario's relief washed away and worry began to set in. If. . . something happened. Worry and guilt kicked in as he jumped into battle, hopping over Ludwig's shell and turning on a dime. But he was unfocused, still unsure of everything. Bowser? Ludwig? Were all of the Koopalings here? Does all of Bower's forces know?!

Too many questions, and he was unfocused. He wanted answers but he was sure Ludwig would refuse to speak another word.

They battled tirelessly, and Ludwig's fury seemed to fuel him. Mario's preoccupied mind out him at a disadvantage. He kicked the spiked blue shell as it came toward him at one point, but it rebounded faster than he thought. He was knocked over, and Ludwig popped out as they tumbled over each other, with the Koopa ending on top, wand pointed threateningly at his face.

Mario frowned back, mentally kicking himself for being so caught up in his emotions. "What did you do to Bowser? Why are you doing this?!"

Despite his wanting to keep details known to Mario at a minimum, anger spoke for the usually collected eldest Koopa. He punched Mario "You! ruin everything! How long was this going on? How pointless was our efforts? I bet. . . I bet you're mind controlling our King! And they call you the good guy!"

"We aren't-!" Mario began/

A clawed hand swept against his face, drawing blood along the three cuts. "You! If not you! The Princess then! We'll take her down next!"

Adrenaline let Mario ignore the stinging pain. "You're already on thin ice for endangering Bowser. If you think you can get away with laying a single claw on the Princess. . ."

His threat was never finished. A final burst of magic knocked him out. Ludwig stood, glaring down at the blacked out plumber. An uneasy feeling rose in the pit of his gut. This couldn't be right. Was this real?! He looked out to the kingdom, feeling. . . something. Something unpleasant.

Taking out the communications device out of his shell, he hesitated before speaking into it.

"Koopalings, come in. Mario came to me. I brought him down. . . Let's fall back for now."

"Gotcha." Roy replied.

"Coming!" Iggy chirped in.

"Heard loud and clear," Morton said gruffly.

"Already? Fine." Wendy said.

"Alright." Larry answered blankly.

"Oki doki." Lemmy said a bit distantly.

With their verbal confirmations, Ludwig put away the shell phone. He looked from the kingdom to the castle, then lastly to the sky. He turned to Mario finally, and grabbed ahold of him. He dragged him off to the prison on the ship, a shell of a lot of mixed feelings and thoughts in his mind.

* * *

**Author's Note: Hello agaiinnnnnn. Sorry for the late update. Life! Ya know. Lol. I'm trying to work on Personified, but the muse of the next group of characters isn't really coming to me. Maybe cuz the plot is starting to kick up.**

**Anyway, here we're seeing Mario's side of the story. Cute, oblivious plumber. The timeline I have is sorta vaguely explained, but I think context clues and descriptions of games are good enough. If need be, I'll clear things up later.**

**Leave a review for the struggling Trio! **

**And speaking of Reviews!**

**Whatanauthorsgottado: Thanks for reviewing every chapter thus far! It was nice to see a sudden surge of notifications all of a sudden. I am a fan of this interesting dynamic! I really just want to get to interaction between the Three, but ya know! Story's gotta story. I hope you like this update, along with more to come! P.S. Mario's curse was a reference to your review that made me laugh, lol.**


	5. Chapter 5

The Princess' face had a small frown, not one of displeasure, but a confused one. Toadsworth went on with confidence. The usually nervous caretaker looked like he was excited now. And Peach could now only wonder why he was instead of the shocked she imagined he would be. Had he suspected all along? No, she was sure that she had covered her tracks. He was always so worried upon her return from 'capture.'

It seemed that now he had barely realized now that the Princess might be wondering about where he was leading her through the halls to. "My Princess," he began in exhausted excitement, "I do wish you would have told me sooner!"

"W-what?" The Princess sputtered back. "How do you mean? You're the last person I would have expected to be in agreement with my, Bowser's and Mario's . . . arrangement."

"It took me a while to get used to it, at first." Toadsworth admitted, cane thawking against the floors he walked across. Princess Peach recognized this section of the castle now. The light flickered unsteadily from the attacks outside but she could tell they were heading, most likely, to Toadworth's room. "But the more I read into it the more sense it made. It was, in theory, the only way this world could find peace."

"What?" The monarch repeated. "A while? Reading into it? We just announced it!"

Toadsworth chuckled as he stopped in front of his bedroom door. He pushed it open and led the way inside. Peach wondered what on earth he could be talking of and followed him inside. Toadsworth's room was exactly what she imagined it would be. A lot of bookshelves.

The old Toad walked to a wall and lifted his cane up to a sconce. He tapped the base of it, pushing in a hidden button that blended in very well.

Peach didn't even blink as a portion of the wall slid open to reveal a passageway. This castle was chock full of secrets paths and rooms. She jut never had been in here, or expected Toadsworth to partake in such a secret.

They wordlessly entered. It was a short hallway before they entered a room with another bookshelf, a light, and a table with a chair. "Take a seat," Toadsworth hobbled eagerly to the shelf. His hand hovered over one of the books, before choosing a different one. It was an orange one. Peach indeed did sit in the only chair.

Turning around to her, the old Toad was already looking through the book. searching for something?

Peach had. . . some sort of feeling that she couldn't quite describe. She loathed to think that Toadsworth was going to suggest something she didn't like. But, slowly piecing together all the hints, she frowned, upset.

"Toadsworth."

"Hmm?" he asked absently, not looking up.

Peach didn't answer, waiting for him to actually pay attention.

"Princess?" he asked finally, looking up and surprised to see the Princess's pout and glare.

"Don't dig up some old books and label all of this as just another 'prophecy.'" She said seriously.

The mushroom was stunned. It took him a few seconds to sputter out a sentence. "B-but princess! It-It IS! You see this book, and the other one- The Mario Brothers, a-and, well, everything Makes sense! Don't you see? This-!"

"How can that book foretell feelings and events? Of course I, a new princess got kidnapped! Of course, someone was going to eventually rescue me! And. . . No old dusty book could have possibly guessed how I feel about Mario and Bowser, or how they feel about me!"

Toadsworth closed the book and fiddled with it awkwardly. He couldn't really try to argue with the headstrong Princess opinions. But, well the book foretold 'the union of the two kingdoms with three people.' While he was quite skeptical at times with magic and the universe's way of settling star dust, scenarios such as these just worked strongly for arguments like these.

And this was so unlike the usually calm princess too.

"I don't know what to tell you Princess. If proving the book right is too much for a romantic heart like yours, then I shall not read from it to you. But things happen for a reason. And these people from the past know what they're talking about. The fact that Bowser attacked after your so-called peaceful agreement. . .?" He pushed the book towards her deciding not to push it. "Maybe it's worth a shot?"

The Princess considered the fact, and with a cross between a sigh and scoff, she took the book. She stared down at the orange book. The gold trim of the decorations and cover name was striking. Three Stars interlinked with each other above and below the title. Mushroom insignia made up the title. She's always disliked the word prophecy.

* * *

After the two emerged from Toadworth's bedroom, the Princess noticed a distinct lack of muffled invasion noises from outside. Was it over? But wait. Was Bowser pulling some cruel joke then? It was brief. And uncalled for.

Princess Peach marched to the nearest window (not far. Large windows were a common accessory to nice castles!) and opened them wide. She took into the consideration the ruined buildings, the smoke and Toad stragglers looking still scared, some confused. If not for the obvious signs of invasion, everything was quiet and the day was nice and the sunshine shone down.

"Bowser just . . .left?" she wondered aloud.

Toadsworth stood several feet behind her. Apparently the adrenaline rush of the prophecy being brought to a point wore off. "T-the Toad Town! My Princess! The town is in ruins!" he panicked, running to and fro, unsure of what to do.

"Toadsworth. . ." Peach soothed, though she mentally calculated the costs it would take for rebuilding. It didn't seem too bad, but still. . . What was the point of Bowser betraying them and then leaving? "We aren't being invaded anymore, at least. . ."

Then her thoughts sprung to Mario.

"Oh! I've to find him." she nodded to herself and began to walk back down the hall.

The old Toad hadn't heard her reasoning and continued to look out the window as he freaked out over the state.

* * *

Subconsciously holding the book close to herself, the Princess made her way to the lobby of the castle. "Guards." she caught the attention of the Toads idling about inside. "Check over the Town. Help those you can. Comfort is as essential to the health as helping them up. And, if you see Mario, send him my way." They saluted her, and proceeded to march out the castle doors.

Flanking them, the Princess looked down to the designs of the path. Damage control is also important. What would the gossip-loving Toads just spread around with this fiasco? There was no response she could give them that even she would believe. Bowser was misinformed, or confused? He knew plain and clear about this day. She had TOLD him. He was on board with it. Why. . . the sudden change, if not for planned deceit. . .?

But all this time? He was just a big lump of grumpy turtle, once she had gotten to know him. And it seemed like he had left his truly villainous side behind.

Shaking her head, Princess Peach decided to focus on finding Mario first. They would talk about this, reach out to Bowser, and then. . .

Well, it all just depended on Bowser himself.

When Peach looked up, she was already within the town. The soldiers had scattered to help whoever they can. She looked around. She stared briefly at the spinning purple roof on one of the houses. Prophecies. . . Clairvoyance? No. She wasn't going to let 'fates' decide. This was about her, and Mario's, and Bowser's relationship Not some wild prediction that just so happened to match a detail or two about the current situation. It was ridiculous, Some sham.

Honestly, it's why marriage always seemed to bother her. It was an omen that followed her. Her stare turned to a glare once more, until a familiar friend popped out to her.

"My Lady." the Monty Mole came up, distraught.

He looked around and frowned. "They reached you before I did, huh?"

It was a rhetorical question.

Peach startled. She looked around to make sure no one saw the small ground digger And crouched down to his level. "Mack! Who do you mean by they?"

"King Bowser announced the relationship. He could have. . . used a little bit more tact. Some weren't real happy. They saw it as a waste of time, resources, and chances to actually become a feared nation, rather than dwelling on a Kingdom that got us nowhere for years. For no good reason." Mack coughed awkwardly. "Their words, not mine."

"So the kingdom. And after that?"

"A strange sort of rebellion. Even the Koopalings were torn on what to do. This couldn't be the Bowser they knew. It had to be something sketchy caused by Mario, you, or both! They threw him in a cell. And, well, here we are."

"So, they attacked us because they thought we cast a spell or something. . ." Peach realized the irony in that.

"I heard they weren't going to stop until at least one was captured. So with you here, that must mean. . ."

"They took Mario." Peach rose a hand to her face with a gasp. "What will do to him, Mack?"

"The Koopa Troop respect Bowser greatly. Mario, not so much. If King Bowser was imprisoned." Mack trailed off. "Well, I wouldn't know where to begin or end my imagination.

"My Stars. . ." Peach gripped the book tightly. "Well, then, I have to get going, don't I?"

"On your own?" Mack wondered. "I'd like to join you, but if I'm to keep you updated and see who's on our side, I have to stay with the Koopa Troop."

"I have a few candidates in mind for my adventure." Peach nodded. "Don't feel too bad, Mack. I know your intentions."

The Monty Mole smiled. "There are Koopa Troops rooting for you guys too. I won't let you down!"

And with that, he went underground.

And with him, Peach's faked confidence did too.

A time limit for Mario. A dashed, split crowd reaction to her and her two Special Ones. Who could she trust to help her. . .?

She looked down to the book. For help. . .?

But something about it made her want to throw it away and cry. She will NOT mindlessly follow whatever was written in these passages.

With anger transformed to determination, she knew exactly who her first Companion could be. A sweet Parasol she had adventured with quite some time ago. It's been a while.

* * *

**Author's Note: If there's one thing I regret it's the horribly written fight scene in the previous chapter LOL. But who cares. Koopa fights are honestly boring. you jump on 'em. That's it.**

**To Guest! I get ya! I do want a scene of the three. It'll be coming. . . sometime. Lol. Just you wait! And don't worry about it. I'm glad you're interested! This OT3 is a unique position for sure. Bowser WAS genuinely trying to take over at first, Bowser and Mario DID genuinely dislike each other at first, among other things. But, surely things ARE different now, right?**


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